Michelle Obama: I've done 'pretty well' keeping my opinions private

12/27/12 11:42 AM EST

AP Photo

First lady Michelle Obama says she has learned patience by watching her husband and has done "pretty well" at keeping her opinions private.

"I have learned from my husband, watching him, that it does require a great deal of patience to really feel the full impact of the work that you do on the ground," she told Barabara Walters in an interview broadcast Wednesday. "It doesn't happen right away."

"She has a bigger difficulty biting her tongue," President Obama chimed in.

"I think I've done pretty well at that," his wife shot back.

"Not bad," he said.

The interplay between the Obamas continued as Walters asked the president if he ever had to shush his wife:

"Are you kidding? We've been married for 20 years, you think I'm going to go 'shh' to my wife?" he said.

"Yeah, I've never heard 'shh' come out of his mouth," Michelle Obama said.

"Yeah. but the point is privately, there may be --" he said.

"I have opinions," Michelle Obama interjected.

"She's got a few views," he said.

The interview broadcast on ABC News' "Nightline" was their first joint, post-election sit-down. It had been scheduled to air earlier this month but was pushed back after the Newtown shootings.

Correction: An earlier version of this post misstated the interview air date.